Swimming spots in and near Brisbane
9 spots, costed and mapped.
Brisbane has no ocean beach of its own, so a swim here means a man-made lagoon, a heated pool, a reservoir or a drive out to the bay. Four of the spots below are free.
We've picked the ones a mate would actually take you to, with what each costs and how to get there. The city swims come first, then the bay beaches, then the islands worth giving a whole day.
Everything here is within about two hours of the CBD, and most of it is well under one. Bribie is the only spot you cannot reach without a car.
Quick picks
Close to the city
FreeStreets Beach + South Bank Parklands
Australia's only inner-city man-made beach, surrounded by gardens and galleries
$Spring Hill Baths
Swim in the oldest surviving swimming baths in the southern hemisphere, built in 1886
FreeEnoggera Reservoir
A swimming beach inside a national park, fifteen minutes from the CBD
Bay beaches
FreeRedcliffe + Suttons Beach
A bayside village with a long jetty, calm swimming, and the best fish and chips in Brisbane's north
$Bribie Island
Queensland's most accessible island, drive straight onto pristine beaches and calm bay waters
$Coochiemudlo Island
A ten-minute ferry to an island you can walk right around before lunch
Islands worth the ferry
If you want surf
Before you get in
Enoggera Reservoir only allows swimming inside the marked area, and the catfish sit in the waist-deep water, so watch your step.
Suttons Beach has no surf at all, which makes it the pick with small kids, and the Redcliffe Peninsula Line gets you there without a car.
Streets Beach has no towel hire and is busiest on weekends and through the school holidays. Weekday mornings are quiet.
Questions people ask
Where can you swim for free near Brisbane? +
Streets Beach at South Bank, Enoggera Reservoir at The Gap and Suttons Beach at Redcliffe are all free to swim at, and so is the beach at Surfers Paradise.
Can you swim in the Brisbane River? +
There are no designated swimming spots in the river itself. The closest thing to a swim in the city is the Streets Beach lagoon at South Bank, or the heated pool at Spring Hill Baths.
Where is the closest beach to Brisbane? +
Streets Beach at South Bank is a man-made lagoon ten minutes from the CBD on foot. For real sand and saltwater, Suttons Beach at Redcliffe is about 40 minutes by car or a train to Kippa-Ring.
Which swimming spots can you reach without a car? +
All of them except Bribie Island, which has no public transport across the bridge. The island ferries to Coochiemudlo, Straddie and Moreton are separate tickets from the 50c fare.
Last updated October 2026